SinoDefence Forum

ahho

Well from the yahoo news:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070130/...surplus_stings

It seems that the Iranian bought spare parts from the US for their F-14, but it also mention that China also have bought F-14 spare parts. The question is why would China buy these parts. Are they interested in the F-14 or some sensitive eqequipment that got sold??

Any clue what these spare parts would help China in the fighter industry??

Vlad Plasmius

I don't think it ever explicitly states China was acquiring F-14 parts, but my only thoughts as to why would be the following:

1. Study the wing structure and design.

2. To assist in developing a carrier-borne aircraft.

3. To research Iranian capabilities.

The first two may be obvious, but the third I think has some potential too. Iran has threatened to cut off the Straits of Hormuz after all. China may be worried about having to secure its Middle East, Central Asian, and South Asian interests against Iran.

Jeff Head

The article indicates that the "unique" F-14 parts were being destroyed and that most of these parts were considered "nuts & bolts" parts that could be used on general aircraft. That would be a very important distinction in the sales and what they are good for.

In addition, I do not believe the Iranians did or could buy the parts directly from the U.S. They would have gotten them from a third party who bought the parts from the U.S. for general use.

ahho

hmm in defence news that was posted today did not mention anything about china.
I guess yahoo news such as AP and Reuter news are getting unrealiable and bias. They kept posting a story about some group in Ottawa saying chinese government are harvesting fa lun gong while canadian government denied that claim.

Maybe next time i should wait for defence news get posted

By the way if all the sensative part get destroyed is there any point of getting spareparts for Iran???? I mean i thought they already know how to maintain it

bd popeye

Personally I doubt if Iran or any nation recieved any "sentisive" parts.

This may just be a ploy by a Democratic congressmen to make the Democrats appear to be "tough on terror" Or "tough on Iran"..That's all, nothing more nothing less...

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adeptitus

If the PRC really wanted to have a look at a F-14 today, I think they could've easily done so by sending a team to visit the Iranian AF.

I recall reading a report many years ago that the PLA, in late 1970s to early 1980s, was very concerned about facing off against a powerful Soviet military with better aircraft and armor. They had 4 items on top of their acquisition list, one was F-14 design/parts/diagram, another was western torpedo -- the PLAN torpedos were hopelessly outdated at the time, and 2 others that I can't remember exact details, but do recall one has something to do with armor/tank technology.

The US would eventually provide the torpedo via clandestine operation, as the PLAN supposedly "salvaged' one from the South China Sea. The US also offered to upgrade PLA T-55's and PLAAF's aircraft, but those plans were scrapped by 1989-1990.

crazyinsane105

I don't think it's too far of a possibilty of Iran illegaly buying F-14 parts from the black market. The US has a massive inventory of F-14's dating back from the Shah of Iran. A lot of these F-14's are simply sitting in fields and what not for years now. There was a picture on PDF showing what was nearly two hundred aircraft (all of them either B-52's or F-14's) simply sitting there, out of service. I am not sure how often these facilities are checked, but I do know that the US military doesn't have the best inventory controls (a number of TOW's built in 2001 were found in the hands of Hezbullah last summer along for example). So in my opinion, it shouldn't be too hard for Iran to acquire these parts. I mean, they're still somehow flying them....

bd popeye

You probally saw pictures of the aircraft boneyard at Davis-Mothan AFB in Tuscon AZ

http://www.sarimage.com/Aviation/DavisMonthan/

Hezzbullah may have recieved to TOW's from the Taliban who probally got them from the CIA.

Security on US military bases is tighter now than it has ever been. Are there thefts and slips in security? Sure. It may not be s bad as you think it is.

As a person that delt with weapons and munitions for 11 of my 20 years I can tell you I never "lost" anything nor did anyone I know or anyone I trained or worked for me...But that's just me.

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crazyinsane105

The CIA gave Hezbullah TOW missiles? Maybe, but these missiles were manufactured back in 2001, the year September 11 happened. Plus Hezbullah and the Taliban weren't at all friendly towards each other, the Taliban was Iran's number two enemy (number one being Saddam and the Iraqi Baathists). But interesting that you worked in those facilties. Gives me a good amount of releif to know that security in those places aren't too bad.

bd popeye

Oh boy..I did not know those missiles were made in 2001. That would be a bad thing!..I was thinking about back in the late 70's & early 80's..

As for my service as an Avation Ordanceman in the USN. That was my job to handle munitions and weapons. We were held very accounatble.

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adeptitus

For a brief period after fall of Soviet Union, the US Gov DRMO sales of salvage/scrapped military parts was kind of loose and some civilians were actually able to purchase used AH-1 cobra's chopped in half. A few people managed to put them back together into flyable condition. I recall seeing some web sites about it years ago, but they've mostly gone under.

Under today's environment, I think the US Government is prolly much stricter in its military surplus/salvage sales. I'd also suggest staying far away from that business today, because if anything goes missing or end up in the wrong hands, you'd be considered guilty until proven innocent.

Finn McCool

You all seem to be forgetting the arms for hostages deals in the 80s. The Iranians had access to spare parts for the F-14 from the source. I think that they got some (the planes are still in the air) and its possible that the Chinese have some now.

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Pointblank

The Iranians still have the ability to keep their F-5's flying, and produce modifications for them, which indicates they have the ability to at least reverse-engineer some parts for their aircraft. I don't think parts were transfered in large quantities sufficient to last till today during those arms for hostages deals, so it leads creditably to the widely suspected ability of the Iranians to be able to reverse engineer some parts. Iran today has the ability to reverse engineer and locally produce some helicopters, namely the AH-1 Cobra, the Bell 206, and the Bell UH-1 Huey.

bd popeye

I feel the Iranians have the ablity to manufature parts for much of their old US equipment.

I saw a recent video of F-4's flying with modern Iranian colors.

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eecsmaster

The general consensus is that about 5 of the F-14s are still in flyable condition. If Iran has been able to get stuff it can't manufacture, it sure as hell didn't get a lot of them.